Six Tips on how to be a better miler, by Leo Manzano

(Editor’s note: Leo Manzano, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist is a fearsome kicker. Put Leo within the fight at the end of a mile or 1,500 meters, and you have a battle royale. We asked Leo to give RunBlogRun some tips for our high school readers on how to be better milers. On April 19, Leo took third in the Boston Mile, and, then on Tuesday, April 22, he won the road mile at the Drake Relays. At the Penn Relays DMR, Leo lead for two laps, then allowed Australia’s 13:11 5,000m runner (also a 3:54 miler), Collis Birmingham to take the lead, and with 200 meters to go, used his torrid finish to take the win for Team USA.)

Leo Manzano wins Drake road Mile, 1/4

photo by PhotoRun.net

Leo Manzano, photo by PhotoRun.net 2/5

Leo Manzano, 3/4, photo by PhotoRun.net

Leo Manzano, 4/4, photo by PhotoRun.net

Six tips on being a better miler for high school milers

1. Do interval training and always work/focus on your last intervals – This will teach you mental strength to stay in the race when it gets tough.

2. Work on your speed at least once a week- This will help with your closing speed

3. Focus more on quality of running than quantity of running.- This will allow you to have a longer lasting career in your running and in the sport.

4. Run the first 800 effortlessly.- This allows you to save strength for when the race gets tough!

5. Strengthen your legs and body by doing general strength work such as squats, lunges, abs ect. – This will help strengthen your body so that you can push more when you are tired in the race, and ultimately help you run faster.

6- Golden Rule – Don’t forget to enjoy and have fun in the sport!

Drake Road Mile, photo by PhotoRun.net

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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